Joe Calzaghe: Andre Ward is good but beatable

[FinitoElDinamita]

Ward gets beat by a prime Calzaghe..

By Scott Gilfoid: Former IBF/WBA/WBC/WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KO’s) said he got the chance to take on Andre Ward’s latest fight against Carl Froch in the Super Six tournament this past weekend. Calzaghe, 38, said the 27-year-old Ward looked impressive but he thinks he can still be beat.

Here’s what Calzaghe said on his twitter: “Watched the Froch v Ward fight gain. Ward is a good fighter but def beatable.”

Sounds good but who precisely is the person that can beat Ward? Calzaghe doesn’t say but obviously he can’t be referring to himself, as he turns 39 in February and he’s been adamant about not wanting to make a comeback against anyone, period. Even if he were to get a ton of money, Calzaghe has no interest in making a comeback. The thing is with Calzaghe he had the opportunity to fight Ward if he had wanted to back in 2008 when Ward was already showing that he was the class of the super middleweight division. Instead of facing Ward, Calzaghe opted to take fights against older fighters 41-year-old Roy Jones Jr. and 43-year-old Bernard Hopkins and was knocked down by both fighters.

It’s probably a good thing that Calzaghe retired when he did because I think Ward would have easily beaten him. Calzaghe was still in the prime of his career when he retired, so it wouldn’t have been a case of him being old if Ward had done a number on him. Ward is simply better in every area than Calzaghe in my view.

But forgetting the thought of Calzaghe making a comeback, just who does he see that can beat Ward? Mikkel Kessler was already spanked by Ward in 2009. Indeed, Ward beat Kessler much worse than Calzaghe, who struggled to beat Kessler by the 117-111, 116-112 and 116-112 scores. In 11 rounds of action, Ward beat Kessler by the scores 97-93, 98-92 and 98-92. Ward also beat Sakio Bika, a fighter that Calzaghe struggled with, much easier than Calzaghe did. Ward beat him by a 12 round decision by the scores of 120-108, 118-110, and 118-110. Calzaghe defeated Bika by a hard-fought 12 round decision in 2006 by the scores of 117-110, 117-110 and 116-111. Ward looked much better against Bika than Calzaghe.
So who does Calzaghe think can beat Ward?

Carl Froch – Nope! He just got whipped.

Andre Dirrell – he’s a special talent with amazing hand speed, power and defensive skills. Andre might be able to do it if he can get a few more fights under his belt to get the rust off from a year of inactivity.

Anthony Dirrell – Well, possibly but he would be taking a big jump up in competition in facing Ward.

George Groves – no head movement, no power and weak on the inside. He stands no chance ever of beating Ward. This would be a hilarious fight to watch, as Ward would pick Groves apart and knock him out. A very limited fighter. If Calzaghe thinks this guy could beat Ward then he’s really dreaming.

James DeGale – He’ll never be able to beat Ward because he’s too much of a slapper, plodder and lacks the defensive skills. DeGale honestly needs to lose some baby fat and move down in weight to the middleweight division if he wants to amount to anything in boxing. Ward would kill him.

Lucian Bute – This guy can’t block punches and mostly uses his feet to evade punches. Bute has no jab and lives and dies by his power shots. He would get jabbed apart against Ward and lose every round unless the fight were to take place in Canada, where Bute is unbeatable. I could see him losing every round to Ward and still end up having his hand raised at the end if it were to take place over there. But anywhere else in the world, Ward easily wins.

I think it’s pretty clear that Ward would have whipped Calzaghe had the British fighter not up and retired when things were getting hot with Ward taking over the division.

[Violent Demise]

Calzaghe doing and saying everything he can to try and make himself still seem relevant. Pretty funny how this drug addict always commentating how he can beat these current fighters if he was still fighting. Shut the fuck up with that bullshit. Facts don't lie. And facts are you retired to smoke crack when you saw all the potential threats that were coming up. Instead of facing them and risking your 0 in the process you decided to run and hide. And now here you are spitting nonsense for some attention.

[Gandalf]

Calzaghe would have beaten Ward without question. Ward would be tricky for 4 rounds, but once Calzaghe starts to work, that is when Ward begins to fall. Ward starts to tire against the like of Bika and a low output Froch, Calzaghe would just destroy him.

[Spicoli]

Its all armchair quarterbacking, kind of an empty assessment and nil on detail. I mean I'm sure Tocker pudwill thought Calzaghe was beatable too

[FinitoElDinamita]

Calzaghe was one of the very few white men who fought to a black rhythm.. He was extra special.

Ward gets outclassed here.

[CFH]

A prime Calzaghe would just overwhelm Ward at this point in his career. However, the Calzaghe that fought Roy Jones would be in for a long night. I'm not sure he'd win that one.

[Gandalf]

Calzaghe was one of the very few white men who fought to a black rhythm.. He was extra special.

Ward gets outclassed here.

Calzaghe was very special and I rate him higher than Hopkins and give him a fair shot at outworking prime Jones. He really was that good.

I find it laughable to even put Ward in the same category as those fighters. Allan Green? A years later Kessler? Froch who was always limited? Bika who hasn't beaten anybody?

Ward is becoming a little like Lacy was, but unlike Lacy Ward has no Calzaghe on the horizon. Bute might be able to beat him, but Bute is no Calzaghe.

[Spicoli]

Calzaghe was one of the very few white men who fought to a black rhythm.. He was extra special.

Ward gets outclassed here.

I've just never mixed Calzaghe and the term rhythm together Al 'fuckin Jolson he was not

[erics44]

Calzaghe would have beaten Ward without question. Ward would be tricky for 4 rounds, but once Calzaghe starts to work, that is when Ward begins to fall. Ward starts to tire against the like of Bika and a low output Froch, Calzaghe would just destroy him.

i agree with this

wards runs out of steam, it would be one way traffic in the championship rounds

[Gandalf]

Calzaghe would have beaten Ward without question. Ward would be tricky for 4 rounds, but once Calzaghe starts to work, that is when Ward begins to fall. Ward starts to tire against the like of Bika and a low output Froch, Calzaghe would just destroy him.

i agree with this

wards runs out of steam, it would be one way traffic in the championship rounds

Precisely.

Ward was gassed after 10 against a plodder who is known to be extremely lazy with his output and all of a sudden that win elevates him to being the best SMW ever and beating Calzaghe. It is just fantasy talk, people are high on the fumes.

Calzaghe would have him clinching and blowing by the half way mark and then it's all one way traffic.

It would be a little like Calzaghe/Kessler in that Calzaghe would spend a couple of rounds feeling Ward out and then after 4 you have him throwing 80-90 a round and doing all kinds of awkward shit with his southpaw stance and weird combos.

Froch is slow and loads up and that played into Wards hands, Calzaghe would be all over him like a rash and the fact that Ward has no power makes it even easier for Calzaghe.

Ward is overrated. Let's see him fight Bute and even move up to LHW and clean out there. Heck, let's even see him fight Hopkins who I would take to beat him. Dawson would beat Ward too. But to build him up so much on beating Froch? It's just far too much, too soon.

[LobowolfXXX]

Calzaghe would have beaten Ward without question. Ward would be tricky for 4 rounds, but once Calzaghe starts to work, that is when Ward begins to fall. Ward starts to tire against the like of Bika and a low output Froch, Calzaghe would just destroy him.

i agree with this

wards runs out of steam, it would be one way traffic in the championship rounds

Precisely.

Ward was gassed after 10 against a plodder who is known to be extremely lazy with his output and all of a sudden that win elevates him to being the best SMW ever and beating Calzaghe. It is just fantasy talk, people are high on the fumes.

Calzaghe would have him clinching and blowing by the half way mark and then it's all one way traffic.

It would be a little like Calzaghe/Kessler in that Calzaghe would spend a couple of rounds feeling Ward out and then after 4 you have him throwing 80-90 a round and doing all kinds of awkward shit with his southpaw stance and weird combos.

Froch is slow and loads up and that played into Wards hands, Calzaghe would be all over him like a rash and the fact that Ward has no power makes it even easier for Calzaghe.

Ward is overrated. Let's see him fight Bute and even move up to LHW and clean out there. Heck, let's even see him fight Hopkins who I would take to beat him. Dawson would beat Ward too. But to build him up so much on beating Froch? It's just far too much, too soon.

Brief digression for a reality check: Do you think the 2007 Kessler would beat Ward?

[Dropanuke]

Feel free guys to disagree but I reckon in a rematch froch chances against ward are very good, I think ward was beginning to buckle under froch strength but watch ward on the inside and notice froch fighting back the same and also landing, I seriously don't think ward would want to fight froch again because froch has serious determination, but Calzaghe high punch output would beat anyone.

[Gandalf]

Feel free guys to disagree but I reckon in a rematch froch chances against ward are very good, I think ward was beginning to buckle under froch strength but watch ward on the inside and notice froch fighting back the same and also landing, I seriously don't think ward would want to fight froch again because froch has serious determination, but Calzaghe high punch output would beat anyone.

I think Froch could do better in a rematch, but I don't think his style is in any way what Ward fears the most. Froch's output is just too low and predictable to bother Ward excessively. His only way is land something big, but Froch doesn't seem to be able to dent people at the top. Taylor was an age ago now. Froch's problem is his style, too easy to hit and just not enough coming back.

[Althugz]

Calslappy gets owned by Ward at any point. Too smart. Gandalf you seriously compared Ward to Lacy?? Calzaghe was good but outwork a prime Roy Jones?? You're on that same shit JC's on..

Only prime fighter worth a damn he EVER fought was Kessler..waste!

[armin]

I like calzaghe, and think he would have won a ud against ward, something semi competitive but a clear win for joe. However he choose to retire with no plans of comin back so why is he even makin this statement, everyone is beatable...